Tips for Managing Maintenance Issues Inside Your Rental Property

Maintenance is a substantial portion of a landlord’s job. Especially if you own multiple properties, it can be a large responsibility to make sure each tenant is happy with their home. Follow these tips to be able to better manage any maintenance issues you are having in your rental.

Provide an Effective Way for People to Report Maintenance Issues

Not only will your tenants appreciate it, but it will be easier for you if you have an easy and effective way for people to report maintenance issues. Online filing is replacing taking complaints over the phone, helping you track issues easily. Whichever method you choose, it is important to make it obvious to the tenant how to report a maintenance issue to you.

Respond to Maintenance Issues Quickly

Few things are more frustrating for a tenant than when they report a maintenance issue and it takes weeks for the landlord to fix it. Dealing with the problem within a couple days should be a priority. Be very clear with the tenant about when you plan to come and make sure to follow through on your promise.

Case in point – heating and/or cooling. Your unit’s thermostat is the lifeline to a renter. Is your unit’s thermostat more than 5 years old? It’s time to replace it.

With the weather changing from bitter cold to warmer temps, now would be the time to check on your A/C.

Follow up After You Repair Something

Contact the tenant a few days after you have fixed an issue to make sure things are functioning correctly. Following up with the tenant will show that you care about their comfort and have not dismissed their issue. Even if they report that everything is working well, they will appreciate you checking in.

Keep Documented Records

Records of repairs can help you in many ways. First, if a contractor does a poor job, you have proof that they promised to fix it and did not follow through. Second, tenants moving out may try to claim that you did not fix a problem to get more of their security deposit returned than they deserve. Documents that prove the issue was fixed will ensure that you can successfully refute these claims.